Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index
234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Missoula, MT and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Missoula, MT and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Missoula, MT versus $4,906 in New York, NY.

Missoula, MT $2,609
New York, NY $4,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Missoula, MT versus $7,273 in New York, NY.

Missoula, MT $4,087
New York, NY $7,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Missoula, MT versus $9,641 in New York, NY.

Missoula, MT $5,565
New York, NY $9,641

Living in Missoula, MT costs roughly 47% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Missoula, MT 93% above, New York, NY 263% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 $16.73

$26.93 $26.93

-37.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$117 $117

-35.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 $9.27

$14.60 $14.60

-36.51%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$6.54 $6.54

-33.18%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.86 $3.86

-19.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.95 $2.95

-20.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$8.08 $8.08

-27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$9.85 $9.85

-39.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.31 $1.31

-14.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.97 $4.97

-30.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$7.70 $7.70

-35.32%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$6.09 $6.09

-29.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$19.55 $19.55

26.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$17.59 $17.59

-45.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 $18.98

$20.26 $20.26

-6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$6.99 $6.99

-31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.21 $2.21

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$6.72 $6.72

-3.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$7.12 $7.12

-47.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$4.61 $4.61

-49.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.78 $4.78

-38.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.87 $2.87

-16.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.69 $2.69

44.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.50 $10.50

$19.14 $19.14

-45.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.82 $24.82

$19.63 $19.63

26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.32 $3.32

-40.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.19 $4.19

4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.04 $3.04

68.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.20 $2.20

126.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 $39.29

$41.33 $41.33

-4.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.13 $1.13

-3.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.3K $32.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-6.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$139 $139

$232 $232

-40.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$52.7 $52.7

$71.0 $71.0

-25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$67.7 $67.7

2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.22 $49.22

$115 $115

-57.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$76.8 $76.8

-71.03%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$22.41 $22.41

-38.64%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,009 $2,009

$3,606 $3,606

-44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$68.7K $68.7K

-74.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$79.3 $79.3

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 $44.46

$51.4 $51.4

-13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$121 $121

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$140 $140

6.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$4,555 $4,555

-66.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$3,040 $3,040

-56.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,992 $2,992

$9,742 $9,742

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$5,331 $5,331

-50.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$18.2K $18.2K

-76.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 $3,475

$6,685 $6,685

-48.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,666 $3,666

$5,096 $5,096

-28.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

6.89

-0.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7%

New York, NY

$3K 62% 130% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3%

New York, NY

$567 11.6% 18.8% $90

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6%

New York, NY

$425 8.7% 53.4% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$261 10%

New York, NY

$371 7.6% 42.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3%

New York, NY

$176 3.6% 7.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9%

New York, NY

$160 3.3% 109% $83

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2%

New York, NY

$165 3.4% 450% $135

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Missoula, MT and $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75 in Missoula, MT vs $117 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $567 per month, with Missoula, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

2 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Missoula, MT New York, NY 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Missoula, MT vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Missoula, MT is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Missoula, MT. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,522 in Missoula, MT versus $4,555 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,009 in Missoula, MT versus $3,606 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Missoula, MT – a meal for two runs $75 versus $117 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Missoula, MT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Missoula, MT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New York, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Missoula, MT wins on affordability, New York, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.